Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Can Lyman's Tavern revive (or create) DC's pinball scene?

Lyman's, the relaxed new neighborhood bar next to the Red Derby, has a lot of pinball tables -- 6, to be exact. Part of the reason, aside from pinball being fun, is so the bar can host official tournaments, and last week, they hosted their first. DCist has more, and asks an interesting question -- can Lyman's resurrect DC's pinball scene?

To be honest, I didn't know DC had one before, but the city was formerly the host of the National Pinball Museum, hidden away in the Georgetown Mall. The museum left for Baltimore due to rent, and there aren't many other places that have pinball machines aside from a couple at the Black Cat and the Satellite Room and a few other bars.

The tourney, held for charity, had some interesting rules: rather than just score the most, three-player teams had to achieve various objectives like unlock a multiball or get a certain number of points. (The Post has more on the tournament.)

According to the DCist article, the bar has been of interest to DC-area pinball groups because the machines are nice and well-maintained, so it sounds like a good niche for the Lyman's folks. (Owner Kevin Perone is a pinball fan too.) Plus pinball at bars isn't super unusual, Portland, Ore. has a huge pinball scene with reportedly more than 500 machines around the city. Too early to see if Columbia Heights is next, but hey, pinball is fun.

And if you don't like pinball, the bar is just a nice place to chill out. (Or play Super Off-Road, the vintage arcade game where you drive an off-road truck.)